ATLANTA - Georgia's Agriculture Commissioner is dropping a proposal to add dye to raw milk and make it a stomach-turning charcoal gray.<br>
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Commissioner Tommy Irvin announced his decision following a hearing in Atlanta on Friday, in which more than 150 people attended. About 50 people spoke - all against the proposal, state officials said.<br>
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"We will delete the dye proposal and concentrate on labeling," Irvin said.<br>
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He said people who spoke at Friday's hearing said adding dye could be unhealthy.<br>
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Dying raw milk was intended to prevent any confusion between milk sold for human consumption with that sold for animal consumption, state officials said.<br>
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It was also meant to discourage human consumption. The sale of unpasteurized milk for human consumption is prohibited in Georgia. But many people - including dairy producers, farm workers and their families and some ethnic groups - drink raw milk.<br>
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Raw milk and raw dairy products may carry many types of disease-causing germs such as campylobacter, Escherichia coli, listeria, and salmonella. Contaminated raw milk can make people sick, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<br>
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"We felt like if people drink raw milk, they should know what they're drinking," Irvin said.<br>
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